A Villager's Tale
by kittyhawk09
Summary: AU. The night Vincent Teuleres came to the beast's castle, his reality shatters. Why does his mama look sick when he mentions "a beast in a castle"? And why does nothing appear to be wrong the next day? What's going on ?This story is OC centric.
1. Chapter 1: Our Story Begins

Author's Note: Welcome to my first attempt at a Beauty and the Beast story and a multiple chapter story. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. _Many stories have been told about life after the curse was broken. Most authors focus on newly human Prince Adam, Belle, or other main characters. My story is different. This story is about a boy you have never met and never seen. A boy willing to risk his life to storm the castle with Gaston's band. This boy fascinated me as his story came to my mind. I hope I am able to capture that story and do it justice. Remember to comment below with all honest thoughts. I can only grow as a writer._

_-Kittyhawk09_

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Vincent was walking home from the village. It was slightly dark and silent. Then a sound boomed into the silence.

"I WON'T REST UNTIL I HAVE THAT MONSTER'S HEAD HANGING ON MY WALL!"

Vincent jumped and squinted into the distance. He saw a crowd surrounding a farmhouse. The crowd was loud and so the sound was loud but indistinct. _Where that voice come from. _The one thing that was clear to Vincent, was that a mob had surrounded the house and in the crowd he could see… Vincent walked closer to the farmhouse. As he got closer, in the light of torches and lanterns he could see Gaston! _What would Gaston want with a farmhouse!_ _Nothing interesting has ever happens around here._ It was Gaston that was clearly speaking and when he finished another roar rose from the crowd.

Vincent made his decision and turned from the road running towards the crowd. He turned to the first person he saw, a man with a blonde ponytail, an eye patch, and a lean face.

"What's going on?" He asked a man with a blonde ponytail.

"Are you deaf boy? Or have you been dead the past hour. You must have heard Gaston, or are you too dumb to know wha he says."

Vincent flinched. "Actually no monsieur. I just arrived. I was coming home from-

"You Madame Teuleres' boy?"

"Yes Monsieur my name is Vincent."

"Boy, you can't going around asking questions just cause you don't kno things. If you want to find out what's happenin then listen to the Gaston."

Sure enough at that moment Gaston thundered. "Kill the beast!"

"A beast?" Vincent turned back to ask the man more questions, but he was gone. Vincent spied another man, this time with a tricorn hat and wild gray hair. "Excuse me Monsieur?"

The man made no reply. "Excuse me Monsieur?" This time Vincent tapped the old man on the shoulder. The man jumped up and said. "Boy, are you trying to kill someone?"

"Sorry Monsieur, I needed to know; What beast is Gaston talking about?"

The man looked at him with a sneer. "You don't know?"

Vincent flushed. "Well, of course I don't. Why would I would asking if I did?"

At this the man scowled and starting muttering something like."I wouldn't put it past-stupid boy-thinking he _could_ give me-an attack-won't allow it." At this the man walked away from Vincent and kept muttering under his breath

Vincent was very annoyed by now. _Why was it so hard to out one little thing?_ A hand tapped him in on the shoulder and he spun around to see a middle-aged woman in a kerchief and brown dress. She was armed with a torch and was shining that torch in his eyes.

"Vincent Teuleres is that you? Why would you be here? I thought you would have been home with your mother." The lady's round, plump face, flushed red in the light of the torch. _Madame de St. Cyr was a busybody, but at least she would know what was going on._ He put a large smile one his face.

"Bonjour Madame de St. Cyr, it's lovely to see you hear."

"Bonjour Vincent, what are you doing at the crazy inventor's house?"

Vincent started a bit. "Excuse me Madame, did you say this was the 'crazy inventor's house?"

"Of course boy, the home of the crazy inventor and odd Belle. I knew Belle would one day cause trouble here, but my word I never expected even her to be this reckless. It's those faire tale books she reads, I assume. No good ever came from that practice. Eighteen and not married. She even turned down a proposal from Gaston! However, I saw it coming, she's not like us and wouldn't see the sense of the match. I believe Gaston doesn't deserve her, but of course you can't convince him of that."

By now, Vincent was very lost. "This mob is about Belle refusing to marry Gaston?" He felt a slight disappointment. All this fuss over Belle, of course she was beautiful but why would everyone be here to convince her to marry Gaston?

"Oh lord boy that's just the start." Madame de St. Cyr indicated for him to squat down a bit. She leaned her mouth towards his ear and started talking. "It's the greatest scandal for this month. Gaston the greatest hunter in our entire village…" She made gestures to indicate the entire village and Vincent had to dodge to avoid her hands. "…he's in love with Belle Dupre and actually proposed to her…" Vincent nodded. _Everyone heard about that, but that happened months ago_.

"…she said no-now of course if she had said yes, there would have been a wedding and Gaston would have invited everyone- but no one knew why she said no, until now. You see Gaston offered to help Belle keep his father out of the asylum. He offered his hand in marriage, she refused, and so her father was going to be locked up. In a distraught way Belle says that she can prove that her father is not crazy- now of course no one believed her and we're glad we didn't, she grabbed a strange mirror and said very clearly 'Show me the beast'. Immediately the thing glowed like it was possessed and we saw not our faces, but a hideous monster that had horns like Satan himself."

"You saw a monster, an animal in the-in the mirror." Vincent stammered

"Yes boy, were you listening to a single word I'm saying? So we of course, started questioning her. She-Belle actually called the thing sweet, but it gets worse. She got a weird smile on her face looked at the mirror, and said 'He's my friend.' Gaston asks her if she has 'feelings to this monster' and she turns on him saying that he is the monster."

"Belle called Gaston a monster in front of everyone?" Vincent was shocked. Belle was odd, maybe slightly crazy, but she was one of the kindest people in the village.

"Not like her at all," The woman continued. " she must be possessed-by a beast-a beast with eerie blue eyes -a demon."

"By the beast? Could it have that much power?" Vincent shivered. The idea of a beast with demonic powers struck him with fear."

"No one knows. But Gaston plans to kill the creature and mount the head on his wall."

"Gaston would be willing to risk his life for the village?"

A deep throaty voice boomed behind him.

"Of course boy, do you think I would let my village be sacrificed to that _beast?_"

Vincent spun quickly, cheeks flaming. "No Monsieur I-I think you would never let that happen."

"Good lad." Gaston said gruffly. "You understand that we need to protect the women and children from that selfish monster and that every beast like that needs to die." He eyed Vincent over. "Are you Ari Teuleres' son?"

"Yes Monsieur Gaston."

"Ah Ari, I'm sure she would tell you good things about me?" Gaston shifted his weight and smirked over towards the boy."

"Yes Monsieur." Vincent wondered how Gaston knew his mother so well, as to call her by her first name.

"Well your mother is a smart woman and not bad-looking either." Gaston sighed and rubbed his forehead and started muttering in a low tone but loud enough that Vincent could hear him. "If Belle hadn't been the only one for me, I'm sure Ari and me would be married and I'd already have my sons and dogs."

Vincent got a sick look on his face. _Gaston wanted to marry my mother?_ He knew exactly what the idea of those potential brothers alluded to and he did not want to think about it.

Gaston turned towards him again. "So boy, what's your name?"

"Vincent Teuleres."

"So Teuleres, are you joining us men to kill the beast?"

"Yes monsieur, I mean if my mother lets me."

"Tell Ari, it's a favor to me." Gaston smiled one of his famous grins, turned, and walked away.

" Right, Merci Gaston." If Gaston heard him, he made no sign that he did and continued to walk away.

Gaston walked away from Vincent and to the center of the mob. He easily pushed through the mob and grabbed the crowd's attention. "What are you standing around here for? LET'S KILL A BEAST!"

"Kill a beast!" The crowd echoed.

"Women and children, back to the village, and men grab your lanterns and torches and follow me!"

Gaston leapt on his black horse and immediately the crowd burst back into motion. "Men meet at the forest." He boomed. And with that, the unofficial leader of the small town kicked his horse and thundered towards the forest.

In the midst of the churning crowd, no one noticed Vincent slip through and start as fast as he could towards home.

_Gaston was out for blood, the fate of the town was at stake, and no man in his right mind would ever think about not accompanying Gaston to 'kill the beast.'_

With these thoughts, Vincent pushed himself even harder along the familiar path towards home. As he ran down the dirt road, another thought came into his mind. Would his mother really let him go?

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AN: Well, what do you think? Would you want to read more? Do you have any questions, comments, or ideas? Feel free to PM me with your thoughts and don't forget to REVIEW.


	2. Chapter 2: Permission

Author's Note: Welcome to the second chapter of _A Villager's Tale_. Thank you to TrudiRose my Beta for this chapter. Enjoy and don't forget to review. Thank you for your time.

-Kittyhawk09

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Vincent raced home as fast as he could. He stopped when he reached a farmhouse with windows lit up by the light of candles. He opened the door, raced through it, slammed it, and started searching the house.

"Mama, where's the lantern?" he called as he continued racing around and opening cabinets

"Vincent, where have you been? And why are you making so much noise?" a voice called through the room.

"Mama, I don't have time to talk. Where's the lantern?" He shut the cabinets, got down on the floor, and started searching under the chairs. He heard a splash and footsteps approaching. They came closer and closer and then stopped right in front of him. He quickly jumped up and turned to face his mother.

Ari Teuleres was a woman of medium height with reddish-brown hair neatly piled up on her head. Her face was nothing extraordinary, but she was a handsome woman with strong features, and her eyes shone with intelligence. Currently those intelligent eyes were scrutinizing Vincent. He watched as she crossed her arms and looked him in the eyes.

"And where would you be going off to at this time, young man?"

Vincent gulped and took a breath. "Mama-I don't have time. There's a-" He started panting and holding his chest while his lack of patience started to affect him. "-and I need to go with Gaston to-"

"Vincent, what will I do with you?" Ari sighed and shook her head. "If you wanted to go on a hunting trip with Gaston-"

"No, Mama, everyone's going to be there!"

"And so you have to go?"

Vincent nodded his head rapidly.

She took a deep breath. "Well, I suppose you can go, after you finish your chores of course, but couldn't you have waited till morning to ask me?"

Vincent's eyes widened. "No! I have to leave tonight."

His mother put her hands on her hips and lifted an eyebrow.

"Vincent, what animal could you possible want to hunt with Gaston and the rest of the town that you couldn't hunt in the morning?"

She watched her son's eyes become earnest and he delivered the words fearfully.

"A beast."

Ari noted the seriousness of her son's face and she grew concerned for him. _What animal could have spooked him so much? _She walked over and sat down on a chair, gesturing for him to do the same. Reluctantly he did.

"Why is this beast so important this evening?" She was concerned for her son. _Why would Gaston organize a village event in the middle of the night?_ Vincent did not satisfy her curiosity with his reply.

He reached for her hands in his. "Mama, he will make off with women and children. He will kill animals. It's a man's duty to stop him."

This answer strengthened her fear for her son. "Vincent, please listen to me. You are only sixteen and I can't let you go off in the middle of night with strange men to a beast at 10 o'clock at night! You have chores in the morning."

"But Mama, this isn't just any beast! This is a demon beast that captured Belle-"

"The inventor's daughter?"

"-captured Belle and convinced her that Gaston is a monster." The boy continued talking as if she had never interrupted him.

"Well, I wouldn't call Gaston a monster, but he is a bit of a-"

Vincent was really getting into his story and didn't hear his mother's comments were not heard by him.

"She showed Gaston a magic mirror and told him she could prove he wasn't a monster. Belle was so blind and the minute the beast appeared on the mirror he was roaring with an inhuman rage. Gaston tried to convince her. He thinks she's beautiful, but I think she's crazy to not like Gaston. Why would she do that?"

"I can think of a few reasons," his mother muttered.

"So you see, mama, I need to join the men in the fight to kill the beast! It's my duty as a citizen."

"Vincent, no! I don't want you hunting after any beast at this time of night. I am tired of discussing this. You are going to clean up, go straight to bed, and stay away from that beast's den." She got up from the chair and pulled Vincent with her. "Now that I consider it, stay away from Gaston too. Stay away from him and it and I don't want to hear any more of this beast business!" She took her hands off Vincent and walked back toward the kitchen and began to pick up dishes to wash.

"But Mama," Vincent whined as he followed her into the kitchen. "I _have_ to go! All the men are going to be a part of a procession and march up to the beast's castle! I have to be there. They will need everyone available to drag the carcass back to the village."

At the word "castle," Ari froze. Vincent noticed and moved closer towards her, confused. She had stopped cleaning and was standing still. He leaned over to meet her eyes. Her face had lost colour and her eyes were distant. He went to comfort her, but she flinched. He pulled his hand back, even more baffled.

Suddenly Ari gripped his hand tightly with both of hers. The dishes she had been holding clanged to the floor, unnoticed. Instantly Vincent tried to squirm away but she held on to him tightly, and her fevered eyes stared deep into his. He shuddered and tried to look away, but she grabbed his chin and forced him to meet her eyes. Then she spoke and her voice cracked.

"Did you...did you say castle? A beast in a _castle?"_

Fear grabbed his heart as he took in her face. Her blue eyes were wide and in shock, as if he had kicked her in the stomach.

"Mama, are you all right?"

He watched her take a breath and close her eyes. When she opened them again she gave him a sad smile and gently moved a piece of hair from his face.

"My brave boy, I have decided that you may go with Gaston and the other men to kill that monster."

"What?" Vincent was thrilled, but even more confused.

"I changed my mind," she said slowly. "It is important that you go tonight. The beast...the beast must be killed. No one is safe now. Not even the most innocent child is safe while that beast remains in the castle." She glared at the door as if the beast was there. Then she turned and put her hands on Vincent's shoulders. "And you, my brave boy, will help Gaston kill it once and for all." She turned and left the room.

"Mama, what do you mean? I don't understand," he called after her. In a couple seconds she returned with the lantern and I small box of matches.

"You don't have to understand, Vincent. You just have to know that I'm letting you go. Here are the lantern and matches." She handed him the items and retrieved a saddlebag to give him.

"Thank you, Mama," he said as he took the items. "I won't let the village down. I promise."

The woman tried her best to smile. She wanted to tell him that he didn't understand. He was too young. Too young just like-

"Mama, where's my cloak?"

"It's on the chair where you threw it yesterday," she said gesturing to a chair in the corner.

He retrieved it and slipped it over his head. "I won't let you or the village down. That beast will die tonight!" With that exclamation he raced over to the door, but then ran back to peck his mother on the cheek. Then he grabbed his provisions and raced out the door. His mother also ran to the door and watched him as he saddled and mounted his horse Louis.

As he started to ride off, his mother turned towards the door and started to go in, but then a thought struck her. She raced back over to the horse while signaling him to wait.

"Wait, Vincent! Drag the carcass, join the procession, and do whatever else in heaven's name you want, but stay away from that monster beast! Leave it to Gaston and stay safe."

"Yes, Mama, don't worry! I'll be back tomorrow and we can talk about the hunt over dinner." He kicked the horse and was immediately racing away.

"Bye, Vincent. Please stay safe!" she shouted after him. "May God keep you safe. I can't afford to lose another person," she muttered darkly. "Especially to that beast. Why did it have to be that beast my son would go to kill? Why couldn't it have been anything else?"

The wind gusted around her and she realized she was standing in the cold, at bedtime, staring off into the distance, and talking to herself. "I must be out of my mind to do something like this."

Muttering about her lack of good sense, she walked back into the house and shut the door. After taking off her apron, she splashed her face with cold water and headed to bed. As she closed her eyes all she could see was an image of a dark-haired boy laying still against the couch with dead brown eyes staring lifelessly back at her. She shuddered. "No not Vincent. Please not Vincent. Please Vincent, be safe. Please be safe."

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AN: Well what did you think? Don't forget to review and tell me your thoughts. What is your impression of Ari Teuleres? What do you think will happen? Do you think I should come up with chapter titles? REVIEW


	3. Chapter 3: Vincent's Adventure

In minutes, Vincent was riding away from the farmhouse and was alone in the snowy hills. He could feel his heart pounding as he thought about what he was about to do. He was about to go to a mythical castle and help to slay a mighty beast.

"It sounds like a dream come true, Louis," he told the horse. "It sounds like a myth or a fantastic tale. I feel like Hercules on one of his many tasks or Theseus facing the Minotaur! But it won't be just me, I will be part of an army of village men. I'm a hero assisting the greater hero, or a pawn assisting a mighty queen." He shook his head at the thought. "No, that's not right," he said. "Maybe more like one of the men who held Moses' arms in the Book of Exodus? You know, Louis? When the sun stood still? It will be like that."

With a pleased smile that he had found the right metaphor, Vincent looked around to get his bearings. He could see dark shapes all around his vision. Branches from unseen trees hit his side and made the lantern rattle. His smile faded, and he pulled Louis' reins.

As the horse stopped, Vincent held on and gripped Louis hard to avoid falling off. He reached for his lantern, lit it, and held it in front of him. The lantern's glow cast faint light over the forest and Vincent could now make out a collection of hoof prints in the snow in front of him.

He slid off his horse, grabbed the reins, and started following the prints. He tilted the lantern towards the ground and trudged as fast as he could.

"Come on Louis," he said to the horse, "The other men have left without us." Vincent could only walk so fast, and soon he had to stop and try to catch his breath. He glanced around, but all he could see was trees in every direction. Then there was a SNAP and a rustling sound filled his ears. Leaves crunched off to his left and the snapping and rustling seemed to get closer every second. "Could it be…?" Vincent didn't want to think of the possibly of wolves, but every breath he took, the more his feeling of being in danger grew. Then his worst nightmare: a howl shattered the air. Another SNAP was heard, this time much closer.

At that 'snap' Vincent jumped and gripped the horse's reins tighter. His weariness was fading and his new fear started to energize him. His stomach was light and, realizing how he could now be a target, he made an effort to stop panting.

Unseen bushes rustled again. Vincent's courage was gone. He ran. Or rather, he _tried _to run: Louis the horse refused to move and only responded by whinnying in terror. Vincent's fear was becoming unbearable. He knew he had to think rationally, that's what his mama would tell him to do, but his thoughts were clouded and every idea ended with him being eaten. He knew he couldn't drag a horse that weighed more than he did, but his mama would not be happy if he left Louis to be ripped apart by wolves.

Vincent made his decision. He snatched his supplies off the horse and then gave him a good slap. He waited for Louis to thunder away and then Vincent started running after him. He ran as hard as he could and could think of nothing but running for a long time. Eventually he burned off his adrenaline and he could no longer see Louis in front of him.

As Vincent held his side and panted heavily, he regretted choosing to run in the heat of the moment instead of mounting Louis. "If wolves _had_ been after me, I would have been dead by now," Vincent said aloud. He groaned and moved off the path to sit on a snowy rock. As he sat down, another thought hit him and he groaned again. "I must have invented the wolves myself," he said aloud. "It was all in my head!" More thoughts continued to bombard his mind as he sat there panting. His eyes became heavier and heavier, and he started to yawn. "Oh, I could have been home in bed and asleep by now," he thought. "Why did I think I could be a hero?" His previous thoughts of glory and mythical adventures seemed to mock him as he sat on cold rock and stared out into the snowy forest.

If Vincent had been younger he would have cried, but that was one thing that he refused to do. _I'm still alive_, he thought wearily. _That must count for something_. He paused and started to close his eyes.

Immediately a crash broke through the silence. Then lights appeared up ahead. They were close, maybe right around the next bend. Vincent immediately thought of lanterns. _Had they seen Louis? Had the village men stopped for him? _

It was enough to give Vincent some hope. He got up off the rock and started walking towards the lights. As he walked closer, Vincent could see that the lights were moving away from him and towards a deeper part of the forest. Little by little, Vincent seemed to catch up with the lights. Suddenly the trees faded away, and all he saw were dark shadows against a large light.

After the trees were completely gone, he found himself at the entrance of a large stone bridge. Vincent shone his lantern towards the end of the bridge and saw that it stretched on into the distance, but the lack of light made it impossible to see where it stopped. He quickened his pace, determined to reach the end of the bridge.

As he walked closer to the end of the bridge, the light grew brighter and more shadows formed. Just as he was starting to make out a stone fortress up ahead, he felt himself being pushed hard.

When Vincent regained his senses, he found his back pushed hard against the stone of the bridge and the dull pain made his back tingle. He pushed himself off the stone carefully and pushed the lantern towards a dark shape in front of him.

It was a man! The man was shaking and darting his eyes at Vincent and then at his boots, squinting while staring into the light.

"Monsieur, are you alright?" Vincent exclaimed, hoping that the man would give a sane answer and not a delirious one like his shaking suggested. Vincent was not encouraged by the man's response.

"I should've known…away from …demon castle, forks, dressers at my age… lights, tools… demons." Most of what the man said was intelligible, and between his mumbling and shaking all Vincent could make out were disconnected words. This led Vincent to doubt the man's sanity.

"Tools?" he repeated skeptically, "Demons? Are you sure…"

"Boy, I know I saw…saw demons…cursed items…killers at every corner…corners are killers."

"Cursed items and killing corners?" Now Vincent was sure his assumption was certain.

The man looked at him, noted his skeptical face, and then burst out laughing. It was a gruesome sight. As he laughed, the man coughed and barely breathed but continued to laugh and laugh. This time, Vincent started to back away from the man.

"The little boy doesn't believe. Oh, no wonder." He laughed again and then his expression changed and he caught Vincent with eyes devoid of humor. Vincent froze in the gaze. It reminded him…no, it can't be… but the expression, the fevered eyes reminded him of his mother. Seeing his mother's expression on this insane man sent a shiver down Vincent's spine.

The man finally spoke and the grave voice with a hint of mocking seemed to reach Vincent on the inside. "You don't believe. Well, it's your own fault." The man pointed a finger covered with dirty, new cuts and scrapes at Vincent and smiled eerily in the darkness. The man gestured widely into the dark. "See for yourself." And with that, the man closed his eyes and slumped to the ground.

Vincent backed away from the unmoving form and looked out into the darkness that the man's last words spoke of. He could still see the stone bridge, but there was more stone past the bridge. He could make out a thick of layer of stone stretching high into the sky illuminated by a large stream of light near it. Finally it hit Vincent. "I've made it to the castle!" He ran towards the light as fast as he could. All the coldness of the man's account and the chill of the snow faded away into the wonderful hope of reaching the castle. "_I'm almost there,"_ he thought. "Five more minutes, two minutes, 60 seconds, 30 seconds, 10 seconds… I'm here."

The scene he saw at the door, took seconds to take in, but he stood there frozen in place while the warmth melted away into an unwelcome emotion that Vincent rarely encountered: horror. Everywhere in the castle he saw chaos. Bright lights and colors warped his vision and loud noises he had rarely noticed while running now deafened his ears. "_The scene is incomprehensible,"_ Vincent thought. Men were waging a war against household objects and furniture! The respected men in society, town drunks, and even farmers were acting like town lunatics. Compared to these men, Monsieur Maurice looked frightfully sane. Then Vincent screamed as his reality shattered. The objects were fighting back! No, it couldn't be possible, but that was what he saw! Men were losing and injuring themselves in a fight with household objects. Teacups were pouring scalding hot tea off banisters, a scarlet footrest with gold trim was biting a man, mops were suffocating a man before Vincent's eyes, and knives chased another man out of one room and through the castle doorway, passing Vincent.

Then in one horrifying moment, a gold letter opener saw him. The gold weapon advanced slowly toward him and in his frozen state, it easily trapped him at the door within seconds. _"It must have heard me scream and wants to finish me off_," he thought as the now familiar fear crawled through him again. His Fear had been with him on this trip for too long and finally he couldn't take it. It was consuming him. His ears felt like exploding from the sound of screaming men and the victory cheers of the triumphant objects. Colors danced and swam before the boy's eyes. His vision blurred, flicked, and was then lost in one second. He lost control of his body.

"No, please-,"Vincent whimpered as he lost focus. His body hit the ground, the demons faded away, and Vincent finally knew peace.

**AN: Alright that's the third chapter. Poor Vincent, he had to go through a lot all in one day! The next chapter will be in Ari's perspective. Please Review and PM me with your thoughts. **

**-Kittyhawk09**


	4. Chapter 4: Ari's Worries

While Vincent Teuleres lay peacefully outside the castle, Ari Teuleres tossed and turned in her bed, nightmares unfolding behind her eyes...

_She was at a castle and Vincent was holding her hand. They were standing in front of large iron gates, and looking up at them. In the dream Vincent was much younger, about five or six. Suddenly, the large iron gates banged open, followed by a thick wooden door. Immediately the young boy ripped his hands out of hers and ran through the opening of the gates and through the doors. Ari charged after him and raced over the threshold, screaming his name. "Vincent! Vincent! Come back! Stay away from the monster!" _

_Then the dream changed. __ Suddenly she was in Vincent's place. As she ran, her lungs were desperate for air and her sides hurt. Her feet made no sound on the carpeted floor. Then she turned a corner and saw it. _

_The monster was about ten feet in front of her, but she was gaining on him. Her mind screamed, "Danger!" but she didn't care. She could almost touch the dark shaggy fur covering the large creature. _

_Then things went horribly wrong. With all senses alert, she helplessly watched the event take place. The monster turned and growled. She screamed. He lunged. Then all she could see were claws. _

_Her vision blurred and the dream shifted again. She was running again. Then she heard a scream. She ran to the same room as before, her heart pounding. A body lay on the floor. After she got closer she could see a boy with dark hair laying broken on the stone. Ari ran toward her son. She tripped and fell, right in front of the body. She froze, staring at her son. His dead, dark eyes stared back at her. _

_Then she remembered that this was all a dream. She attempted to force her eyes open, but the dream didn't fade._

"_One more time," she thought, she closed her eyes and opened them again... But she still saw the richly furnished room and her son's still form._

_Then a dark shadow fell over Vincent and herself. After catching her breath and blinking back hot tears, she struggled to stand. "Why would... Why, monster?" she sputtered. "Why would you do this to me? Haven't you done enough?" She turned to face the creature, but there was nothing there. Curtains shook slightly, and Ari knew she was alone. Alone, with only the dead, dark eyes of her son watching her._

Those eyes were the last thing she saw before she abruptly woke up in a silent room. Staring into the dark, she breathed a sigh of relief that the nightmare had ended and she was safe in her room. She then attempted to shut her eyes again. As she closed her eyes, her son's eyes and the image of the monster's shadow seared into her mind with force. She shivered. "Is that how I'll see Vincent next?" Ari desperately thought. "Dead?"

The thought was unbearable. "No!" she shouted aloud into the empty room. "Vincent will return. He must!"

Eventually, hours later, she succumbed to her weariness and fell asleep.

* * *

When Ari woke again, faint light was coming through her window. Pushing off her blanket, she stood and lit the lantern by her bed. In the faint light of the dawn, she pulled on a blouse and skirt and tied an apron snugly around her waist. After that she ran a hand through her untidy hair and braided it, pulling it up and away from her face.

After leaving her room, she walked towards the kitchen. At Vincent's room she froze and stared at the slightly ajar door. A nervous feeling flooded through her as she briskly walked over and grabbed the doorknob. Taking a breath and then releasing the doorknob, she knocked on the door. The hollow sound seemed intensified in the small entryway. No response came. "Vincent, are you awake?" she called. Again no response. She grabbed the doorknob and opened the door, wincing at the creaking sound. "Vincent, are you here?"

This time she lifted her lantern and shone it around the room. Her heart sank at the sight of the perfectly folded sheets and plump pillows. Shutting the door, she walked towards the kitchen. _I'm still uneasy from the nightmare,_ Ari told herself. _Gaston may have decided that they should stay the night and preserve their strength. The beast is probably dead right now._ The thought gave her a wicked satisfaction. "At this very moment, its dead body could be lying on a cart, being pulled by horses. Vincent could be safe and alive and on his way home right now." Her smirk became a genuine smile as she pictured her son safe and sound. _Maybe he's in town and on his way here,_ she thought. H_e might even be in the henhouse at this very moment, right now, gathering eggs for breakfast!_

Ari raced to the front door and opened it, calling, "Vincent! Vincent, are you here?" Again there was no reply. Sighing, she walked back inside and began to prepare breakfast. After a moment she fell into her daily tasks of feeding the chickens, collecting eggs, and milking their cow. Then she returned to the kitchen, started a fire, set a pan among the coals, and started cracking eggs into it.

As she beat the eggs and added milk, she realized she hadn't added flour yet. Cursing her forgetfulness, she ran to her pantry stores and rummaged through her supply. Ari groaned when she discovered an empty tin of flour. "I gave Vincent the rest for his journey," she cried. "Wonderful, now I must go and purchase more. Hopefully, I have enough egg money to cover it."

Just then a mouth-watering, savory scent of fried eggs drifted her way. Ari ran back over to the fireplace and used her apron to pull the pan away from the hot coals. Grabbing a tin plate from the shelves, she served herself a serving of eggs, and sat her plate down on the wooden table.

Just as she started to cut into her eggs, she stopped, got up, and ventured over to a small bookshelf across from the fireplace and pulled out a worn leather book. The cover was a deep purple, and gold script read _A Classic Collection of Myths and Other Tales. _She walked back to the table, sat down, placed the book gingerly on the table, and flipped it open.

Her breath caught as her eyes fell on a handwritten message inscribed on the cover.

_To Ariadne, on her thirteenth birthday, to encourage learning and education. May you have many hours of pleasure and pass on this tome to your descendants. Your loving guardian,_

_Uncle Vincent_

"Thank you, Uncle Vincent," she whispered to the book. "I have done my best. But perhaps if I hadn't done my best, Vincent would have never wanted to go on his own quest."

It had been eight years since Ari had shared first shared the stories with Vincent, but she remembered the day like it was yesterday...

"_Mama, what's that?" _

_She looked up to see her son approaching her chair. "Vincent, you should be asleep," She replied._

"_I know Mama, but I had a nightmare," The boy softly said. His eyes were slightly teary, and Ari knew that sending him away now would be heartless._

"_Okay, rabbit," she said as she pulled him onto her lap and looked into his dark eyes, very unlike her own. "What was it about?"_

"_A castle, with big dark gates." _

_After freezing at the word 'castle', Ari knew that this wasn't just any dream. _I thought he was too young to remember,_ she mused to herself. "Vincent, do you remember-" she said, then paused. "Perhaps your dream...was missing a hero to save the day," she continued and gave his little body a squeeze._

"_Me, Mama?" he replied._

"_Yes, you," she said._

_She looked down and saw the thoughtful look in his eyes. After a moment, he looked up at her and said, "I'm not very brave or strong."_

"_Vincent, sometimes heroes don't need to be brave or strong, but instead they are clever or even lucky," Ari replied, recalling some of her favorite myths. The boy stared at her silently and Ari realized that he didn't understand. _

"_I'm not very clever either," he said sadly._

_Ari decided to try a different approach. "Would you like to hear a story about one of my favorite heroes?"_

_Vincent nodded and so Ari turned the book a couple pages back and began to read. "Theseus and the Minotaur," she read. Vincent snuggled up against her and laid his head on her chest. Soon both the boy and his mother were lost in a world of heroes, monsters, and adventure._

Ari was pulled out of her happy memory by a knock at the door. Startled, she closed her book, put it back on the shelf, and ran back to the door. _Vincent must be back,_ she thought as she flung open the door.

But Vincent was not at the door. Instead, there stood an older woman with a round face, sharp eyes, and an even sharper tongue. "Gracious, Ari, if I had been any older you might have killed me."

"Bonjour, Jeanne. Are you well?" Ari replied after recovering from her shock at her guest's presence.

"Of course I'm well. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't," the older lady snapped back.

"Would you come in, Jeanne? " Ari said while holding back a smile.

"Yes, I shall," and Jeanne de St. Cyr walked briskly into the house and sat firmly on a couch. "Now, Ari, we must dispense with the pleasantries and get down to business."

Taken aback, Ari walked into the sitting room, and took a seat on the couch next to her guest.

"Now then, is your son well?" Jeanne said abruptly.

Ari took a breath. "I beg your pardon?"

"Your son, Vincent, is he well? Did he have a safe journey back?"

"I don't-"

"You do have a son named Vincent?" the other lady snapped.

"Yes, "Ari said slowly.

"Then it is a simple question: is he well?"

"Jeanne, I haven't seen my son since last night," Ari said in a low tone.

"You must have, Ari. All the men came home early this morning, except the ones found asleep in the tavern," Jeanne said impatiently.

"All the men came home?" Ari repeated in a small voice.

"Yes, that's what I said. All the men came home."

Ari felt her stomach lighten and she became appear of a headache. She reached up and put her hand on her forehead.

"Ari, are you well? You look very pale," The other woman said bluntly.

"Yes, I'm fine," Ari said absently.. "Vincent wasn't with the other men?"

"No," Jeanne replied. "He wasn't with the men who were in the market or with my husband at the tavern." Jeanne made a face and then continued speaking. "We, my husband and I, thought that if he wasn't with us, he must be with you."

Ari's dazed expression faded and fear began to creep in. "He isn't with me."

"Well, we hoped he was. Either that or he's-"

"Thank you very much Jeanne, it was very kind of you to come," Ari said while getting to her feet.

"Glad to be of help, Ari. We will hope that Vincent is still alive," Jeanne added.

"Thank you, Jeanne," Ari replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I would like to finish my breakfast."

"Oh, enjoy your breakfast," Jeanne said as she reached the door and started to leave.

"Thank you, Jeanne," Ari said. "Good-bye."

"Good-bye," the other woman replied and walked out the door.

Ari walked back over to the table and was just starting to sit down when another thought hit her.

"Jeanne!" she called while running to the door. Jeanne de St. Cyr was just getting into her cart when Ari called. She turned her head around puzzled, with one foot still perched on the cart's wheel.

"Ari, what do you want?" she said.

Ari ran from the door and stopped in front of the cart. "Jeanne, do you-do you think that your-that your husband would be able to give me a ride today?" Ari managed while panting heavily.

"Yes, of course he would," Jeanne said.

"Please ask him if he would take me to a place about a couple hours distance from here," Ari said.

"Very well, I will. What do you need the ride for?" Jeanne asked.

Ari met her friend's eyes with a determined look and took a deep breath.

"I need to find my son."

**AN: That's the end of chapter four. For the next chapter would you rather read more in Ari's POV or check back in with Vincent? As always; what did you think? Please review and PM me with your thoughts and comments.**


	5. Chapter 5: Vincent Awakes

A Villager's Tale

By Kittyhawk09

Chapter 5: Vincent Awakes

**Author's Note:** **Welcome to the next chapter of_ A Villager's Tale. _Thank you so much to TrudiRose, Lily, and Jonny2b for reviewing the last chapter. I hope chapter 5 is worth the wait. By the way, what are your impressions of Vincent and Ari so far? Also taking that into account, what do you think will happen next? Please PM me with your thoughts. Enjoy this chapter and thanks for your time.**

**-Kittyhawk09**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Disney's Beauty and the Beast. I only own the characters you don't recognize.**

* * *

The first thing Vincent noticed was bright sunlight. For a second all he could see was the harsh light, but then slowly a hazy world came into his view. He blinked a few times and tried to focus his eyes.

_Where am I? _ he wondered as his eyes took in the blue sky above him.

Judging from what he could see with his unclear vision, he was outside, but not in any familiar place. He was under a clear sky, but a bush obstructed his vision on one side and a stone wall obstructed the other. Vincent turned and craned his head to try to see more, but stopped suddenly when he felt a flash of pain go through his neck and shoulders.

He slowly turned his stiff head back to its original position and stared up at a blue sky. Then out of the corner of his eye he saw movement.

He took a deep breath and slowly sat up. Pain and stiffness gripped his body, but he continued to try to sit up. Eventually he succeeded. Vincent crawled shakily around the bush, and silently glanced around again, but this time he saw nothing.

After taking another breath, Vincent reached over grabbed a hold of the stone in the wall above him. He tightened his grip on the stone, put pressure on his knees, and forced himself to stand with a groan. Soon, he found himself on his feet with only a slight lingering discomfort.

He turned from the wall and walked the opposite direction. As he walked further away, the sunlight became brighter and he began to hear the sounds of loud morning birds and other animals.

He covered his ears as dizziness started to overtake his senses. He quickened his pace and then stopped suddenly. _Where am I headed? _ he thought. Then another frenzied thought hit him. _I'm still at the beast's castle!_

Vincent's heart dropped as anxiety started to set in. _If I'm at the castle, _ he thought, _where is everyone else? Why am I the only one here?_

Immediately a malicious answer came to him. _They left you._ A voice sneered mentally.

"Did they really leave me here, alone?" Vincent said aloud. "Did they kill the beast without me and leave? Or is it…is it still…alive?"

Vincent shivered and glanced around him, as if the beast was there watching him.

_If the beast is as bad as the things in his castle, then I shouldn't stay long. "_Fearful images of blurred color flashed before Vincent's eyes in a hazy, dreamlike way. He couldn't seem to recall anything solid or clear from the night before. All he remembered was his own feelings of terror and horror. Through his frustration, a curious thought entered his head. _I wonder, was the castle as bad as I remember?_ Vincent searched his mind for any thoughts of what the castle had looked like, but all he recalled were dreams of demon objects and even those were unclear and distant. _Demon objects? _he thought. _Did I really see demon objects last night or did I only dream about them?_

As doubts swirled in his mind, Vincent turned back to study the castle of his nightmares. However, unlike the horrible, dark nightmare from his dreams, in the daylight this castle was a work of art.

Vincent' mouth dropped open as he really saw this castle for the first time. His eyes drank in the marble walls; the gold embellishments glinting in the sunlight, and the way the distant mountains framed the silhouette. The castle glowed with beauty. Everything about it was light and elegance.

Still, Vincent felt uneasy in its presence. The polished oak doors were far above what he had ever seen before. They seemed to belong to another time. Gold embellishments that seemed to glint seconds before, now glared at him with superiority and hatred.

Despite how foolish it sounded, Vincent was sure that the castle didn't want him here. He also didn't feel like staying around to find out why.

As he started to back up, his thoughts turned towards home. _Mama is waiting for me at home. She would kill me if I missed my chores, _he thought. _I need to get home to feed the animals and clean out their pens._

These thoughts of responsibility did not bring a pleasant feeling. Vincent stopped backing up for a moment and gazed back up at the castle. As he gazed at the grand, gilded building. temptation began to begin inside of him.

_This is the only time I'll ever be near a castle again,_ he mused to himself. _If I go home now, I'll wish I had stayed. I don't need to stay long…just until I see it._

His thoughts came one after another and his plan began to take shape before his eyes.

_Gaston most likely took care of the beast and the men left without me, so I'll take one look inside the empty castle and then I'll leave._

Empowered by this thought, Vincent strode up to the wooden door, bubbling over anticipation. When he reached the wooden door he stood a couple of moments before it hesitating.

He glanced back at the path away from the castle. A voice in his mind urged him to leave. _You're in danger here! Go home before you regret it!_

Deep down Vincent knew the voice was right. He turned away from the door with difficulty and walked back down _the_ steps.

Then suddenly, he changed his mind. _I've come too far NOT to see it, _he told himself, and ran back to the door.

After taking a moment to catch his breath and ignore the stiffness developing in his legs, he looked back up at the heavy oaken door. He swept his eyes over it, looking for a place to enter. Finally he noticed that the door was slightly ajar, and if he squeezed himself though while pushing slightly, he could make it.

_I'd have to squeeze a little, but I could do it,_ he reasoned with himself.

As he positioned his body in front of the opening in the door, a desperate thought came to him. _It's not too late to leave. Go home and be safe!_

After hesitating a bit, he took a breath and answered the thought with his own_. I can't. _Steeling himself and the butterflies in his stomach, Vincent slipped through the opening.

Once he was in the castle, he swept his eyes over his surroundings. He was in a large entrance hall with elaborate gilded furnishings and large windows.

The room was unfamiliar, but an uncomfortable feeling nagged at Vincent. _I'm sure I've been here before._ He stared at marbled angels decorating the entry way and his mouth gaped at the rich decoration, the plush carpets, and the magnificent table.

"Is this how kings live?" he remarked aloud.

As if his feet had a mind of their own, he crossed the marble floors and reached out and touched the runner on the entry table. The material was soft and smooth with a silky finish. Vincent stood in awe as he held the material. Next he turned away and examined the rest of the hall. He walked towards the windows.

Suddenly he heard a creaking sound off to his right. He stiffened and then stumbled back from the windows and _froze_ as a large door began to open.

Immediately he realized his exposed position and darted away from the door, scanning the open room helplessly. Thoughts raced through his mind.

_I need to hide! Could I go back towards the exit? No, I would never make it…How about the curtains? No, I would certainly be seen…Under the entry table?_

The door creaked again and the gap between the door and the doorway continued to widen.

_I'm out of time! _his mind screamed_._

On sheer impulse he raced over the floor and slid under the entry table. As he was tucking his legs under him and curling into a ball, he heard the door creak open and voices enter the room.


End file.
